Liquid fertilizer apparatus



Feb. s, 1949. R o, LEWIS l 2,461,067

LIQUID FERTILIZER APPARATUS Filed-April 25, 1945 ??jclyard LEZ/.ris

Patented Feb. 8, 1949 UNITED STIATES MQW@ @gemma @nacemos RichardQ. Le s, Losllnigelrers,(ialf.V

Arnlieatien )in invention relates ge,nerally` to: fertilizer apparatus and is moreparticularly dljetedto apparatus whereby, for instance, solublel Chemical fertilizer, supplied; in granular, or. crystalline form and packaged in a. container, iS adapted to, be dissolved, intermiiged with and. distributed by. a Water stream owing through the container.

Thus, by connecting the container intoa garden-hose line or the like., chemical f ertilizerfin liquid form may be distributed evenly and in proper proportionate amount over Va lawn or gardenvcoincidently,with the watering operation.

Or, of course, the containerY may. be lled with soluble insecticides or fungicides and introducedinto a Water-spray line for spraying foliage etc. with a proper mixture of Water and treating chemical Among other uses, the apparatus mayY bev employed for distributing Weed killing solutions. Itis the general object of the invention to provide a device of the class described which is. of utmost structural and operational simplicity and yet is fully eicient in performing the' functions. outlined above. The apparatus is, adapted,` for quick and easy installation in a. ilow line, and may as quickly and easily be disassociatedfroni the flow line to restore the latter kto normal condition.

While the container isradapted to be. refilled with chemical after the original cl-iarge has bee' come exhausted, it is of such a simple. andrelatively inexpensive nature that it is'economieally feasible to market it asJ a non-rellable or ein pendable dispenser. In other Words the ydispumsing container is not much more expensive than an ordinary packaging container, which has to be supplied in any event, and therefore the additional cost is so slight that the consumer is Willing to buy a new, filled device each time hewishes to fertilize or otherwise treat a lawn surface or foliage. n

Other objects and features of novelty will-be apparent from the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal medial sectionthrougli a device embodying the invention, a o'nven-- tionally illustrated faucet and rhose Icoupling being shown in connection therewith;

Fis. 3 is a fragmentary section of a portion of the device showing a variational type of' dia.- Jnetrical. restricfien. in theiiow tubeedf Y l Fig. 4 is a fragmentary lsection"sliovvi''g.a ',varia 1945, serial No. 589,908 (ci, 299533) tional mounting, for. the: central. tuloe of, the apparatus.; o container.. generally sistsf f,v a "cv dri 1` bqttqnrlwaus lz a ci s frLOmiQ-n l2v 'is mi pressdfinternlthree.. inte all. ilange l 6' is :formed at thebottoin of nneck PfSmefdfQiltwardiyvfroni igen-,ated at In alifienent. with. neck having external, pressed. noted, the two, 'ne Witliftheir' associated 'ova s, Y plextv of manufacture" th' @duced n d Vertical tutev La, havinat mina1eaterna1ao, nular ilanges 2,0; and 2J, l neg neck and,l with casing .|I.-` efines 'an an ul chamber 22. Tube-b. communication With th il "ad 1 4.. rien/)edili the. C tailler in an stance, "tube imagen. mayfalut toV the underside vvof' neo fl rig'l flans@ i may.be s 01oered direct, race .o f totem 12,. Tte; sbnerei? Jb 'ts'. the tube and container prverii leak pointsiofljlinctionand th ub a s reefre 'the- Coitier against I n tu directed collapsi1'1g`stre'sses`.""M

Near its upper or inlet end, tube '.f-isvfo, med with aeiameiricairestriction i "their 1n` "ci Venturi pssaeel, portsopenl ,giro ber 2J to tube horefliator hearth" S5 greatest restriction- 1' Near the' beiiirf charge, nd of. liebe 1,9 are Ports., it Whil.

from tube bore 23th, 0h

el naieij at Prferabi, operational limitation# 'C aboutthe level o ports 2 y e, 0992er 'Sulphate' 'crystals meneer sulphate Y and Gelium nitrate @1.1i usiiallyin, rysiailme Y form)v are exemples of chemicals whihmai' se Used; 'ifi advantage in @device 9i the character 50 described. l

E01@ storage and .imminent surprise-.ame mit of. ne ks I4 screxvclosiires (not s own) f ,mi il may .be sealed er rinovble.

able zone or a watering or flow line, the drawings illustrate a preferred point of connection or installation. Thus, neck I4 is adapted to be screwed directly onto threads 3| of water faucet 32, while neck I1 is adapted to receive a complementarily threaded hose coupling 33 carried at the end of an ordinary garden hose or the like (not shown), the faucet and hose thus being put into communication -via the bore 23 of tube I9.` l v A washer 34 may lbe interposed betweenthe upper face of flange I6 and the end of the faucet tip, to provide a watertight joint, and the container may be screwed onto the faucet in a manner to engage top wall I2 with faucet ange 35, thus insuring rigidity of mounting. though obviously the container may easily be wilfully unscrewed from the faucet. 1

When faucet 32 is open, water ilows in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1. As the stream approaches the lower end of tube I9, Ya certain amount of water flows through ports 28 into chamber 22 and rises through the body F of chemical crystals or grains. In rising through the crystalline or granular chemical, the water dissolves particles of the chemical substance so the water W, which nally gathers above the chemical body, represents a supply of chemical solution. As the main water stream passes through restriction 26, its velocity is increased and its pressure reduced, within the'low pressure zone Z of the tube bore, to an extent which draws into the tube bore I9, through ports 21, chemical solution from supply W. This solution joins the main body of the stream flowing through tube I8, so that the finally. delivered stream represents a greatly diluted solution of the chemical. While the major portion of this diluted chemical is directly delivered to neck-bore 24 and thence to the'distributing medium (not shown) a certain amount of it will be recirculated through chamber 22, for some ofV it will reenter said chamber through ports 28. p However, such re-circulation has no harmful effect.

The described liquid ow through the apparatus causes an even distribution of chemical within the water stream, with a consequent assurance that the chemical. maybe evenly dis; tributed to the lawn or `other surface being treated.

It is obvious that the container may be quickly and easily connected to andY disconnected from faucet 32 and coupling 33, so little time and eiort is required to install the fertilizing apparatus and then, after completion of the operation, to restore the water line to its normal condition.

Fig. 3 shows a different type of diametrical restriction for the bore 23 of tube VI9a.,'the tube otherwise being similar'to tube I8 in Fig. 1. Here, tube I'S is of uniform internal diameter throughout its length, and the restriction is formed by the introduction of a separately fabricated nozzle 40. This nozzle has a cylindrical body-portion 4I snugly fitting bore-2.3, a flange portion 42 which extends over -Vand maybe'secured to' ,the upper face of flange I6, and a downwardly pinting conical portion or tip 43. The nozzle bore M is concentric with bore 23 and the nozzle orice 45 is about at the horizontal plane of tube ports 21. Preferably, orice 45 is slightly below `ports 2l, but, -in any event, opens to the low'pressureV zone Za. The liquid ow and'action are thesame as described in connection with Fig. 1.'-

In Fig. 4 I have shown a variational assembly of elements.V Here, casing neck I'I-is replaced by extending tube Isa. downwardly through opening 48 in bottom wall I3, the projecting tube-end I'Ia being threaded at Illa to take a coupling similar to 33. Tube I9a is installed by dropping it through neck I4 and opening 48, tube-flange 20a coming to rest on the top of flange IB. The engaging anges may then be soldered together, and the joint between tube-end I'Ia and casing bottom I3 may be annularly soldered at 49.

It will be understood that while I have referred to walls I2 and I3 as upper and lower ends of the casing, and have referred to the tube as extendingvertically, these references, as well as similar ones in the claims, are given simply for orientation purposes and are not to be considered as limitative.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a casing, a vertical tube extending through said casing and dening therewith an annular chamber, means for connecting the upper end of the tube bore to a Water supply, the lower end of the tube opening to the exterior of the casing, a diametrical restriction in the tube bore and adapted to create a low pressure zone in said bore when water courses therethrough, there being a port near the restriction and opening from the chamber to the low pressure zone of the tube' bore, and there being a port below the rst men-I tioned port and opening from the tube bore to said chamber.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing, a vertical tube extending'through said casing and defining therewith an annular chamber,

" means for connecting the upper end of the tube bore to a water supply, the lower end of the tube opening to the exterior of the casing, a Venturi restriction near the upper end of the tube, there being a port at the restriction and openingjfrom the chamber to the tube bore,and there being a port near the lower end of the tube and opening from the tube bore to said chamber.

3. In a device of the character described, a casing, a vertical tube extending through said casing and defining therewith an annuular chamber, means for connecting the upper end of the tube bore to a water supply, means for connecting the lower end of the tube bore to a discharge line, a Venturi restriction near the upper end of the tube, there being a port at the restriction and opening from the chamber to the tube bore, and there being a port near the lower end of the tube and opening from the tube bore to said chamber. i

4. In a device of the character described, casing, a depressed, internally threaded, tubular neck in one wall of the casing, an externally threaded and tubular neck extending from the opposite wall of the casing and in axial alinement with the rst mentioned neck, a tube secured within the casing and extending from neck to neck and with the tube bore in communication with the neck bores, said tube and casing dening an annular chamber between them. a Venturi restriction in the tube near said one wall Vand there being a port at the restriction and opening from the chamber to the tube bore, and there being a port in the tube near said oppo-v site wall and opening from the tube bore to said chamber.'

5. In a device of the character described, a casing, a depressed, internally threaded, tubular neck in one wall of the casing, an inwardly projecting, annular ange on the neck, an externally threaded and tubular neck extending outwardly from the opposite wall of the casing and in axial alinement With the rst mentioned neck, a tube within the casing and extending from neck to neck, an annular ange on said tube engaging and secured to the inner face of said flange, a nozzle in said tube bore, an external iange on said nozzle, the flange of the nozzle engaging and being secured to the outer face of said neckflange, said casing and tube defining an annular chamber between them, there being a port in the tube at a point adjacent the nozzle oriiice and opening from the chamber to the tube bore,

and there being a port in the tube near the opposite wall of the casing and opening from the tube bore to said chamber.

6. In a device of the character described, a casing, a vertical tube extending through said casing and defining therewith an annular chamber, means for connecting the upper end of the tube bore to a water supply, the lower end of the tube opening to the exterior of the casing, a separately fabricated, downwardly pointing nozzle mounted in the tube bore, there being a port opening from the chamber to the tube bore near the orice of the nozzle, and there being a port below the first mentioned port and opening from the tube bore to .said chamber.

7. In a device of the character described, a Y

casing, a vertical tube extending through said casing and dening therewith an annular chamber, means for connecting the upper end of the tube bore to a water supply, the lower end of the tube opening to the exterior of the casing, a diametrical restriction in the tube bore and adapted to create a low pressure zone in said bore when water courses therethrough, there being a port near the restriction and opening from the chamber to the low pressure zone of the tube bore, and there being a 4port below the rst mentioned port and opening from the tube bore to said chamber, the bore of the tube providing a through passageway between said ports.

RICHARD O. LEWIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 514,253 Boas Feb. 6, 1894 1,907,464 Terry May 9, 1933 2,293,390 Hengesbach Aug. 18, 1942 

